Interview

Written and directed by Elizabeth Bowe, Tarantella tells the story of three generations of Sicilians living under the same roof in New York at the end of the Second World War. Tradition continues to play a big part in family life and the community at large...

The examination of marital strife within stage drama goes together like eggs and bacon, death and taxes. A Doll's House. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?... Written by Elenora Fusco and directed by Katharina Kastening, Our Baby is very much a part of this grand tradition, with its unforgettable portrayal of a couple's fractured relationship and the child they may... or may not have...

The Lion & Unicorn Theatre has had a long association with fringe theatre productions. However Cruel Britannia at the venue, which is produced by Sharon Burrell and Ceri Lothian, takes a foray into the world of comedy and political satire.

In today's world where atrocities are unfortunately a common feature on the news, one of the most prevalent questions raised is how should the guilty be dealt with for their crimes? Are punishment and justice always the same thing? The ancient Greeks wrestled with these questions, particularly the Ouroborous nature of cause and effect. Directed by Madeleine Moore and written by Julian Garner, The Awakening at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre touches on these questions in a timeless, rural setting.

Every once in a while, a show will come along that is not only ahead of the curve, it follows it's own trajectory. Such a show is Sister by Born Mad Theatre which is written and directed by Rebecca Hanbury. Utilising verbatim dialogue from nearly 50 women and girls from around the UK, these personal anecdotes are used as a starting point for a meditation on women's relationships and evolving into a transcendent ethereal soundscape.

In Italian 'travesti' doesn't mean something akin to a calamity. Instead, it is a practice of women playing 'men's' parts in plays and vice versa. Following a critically successful stint in Edinburgh, Fight In The Dog Theatre have brought their play Travesty to the New Diorama Theatre for a five-day run. Directed by Emily Burns and written by Liam Williams, Travesty revolves around a couple in their 20s – from the early days of their relationship to its death knell. "So far, so fairly conventional," you might be thinking. Except the part of Anna is played by Lydia Larsen and the part of Ben is played by Pierro Niel-Mee.

Possessing oodles of energy, Katia Kvinge is not your average comedian. Born of Norwegian and American descent, but spent her formative years in Scotland, Kvinge was never going to be pigeon-holed. Her sense of humour can be described as zany with a propensity for delivery at breakneck speed.

The Danish Prince has provided fertile ground for modern interpretations or as a jumping off point for some other ideas. Directed by Lisa Peterson, Hamlet In Bed focuses on an actor who may have tracked down the woman who put him up for adoption as a baby. The twist is that when she conceived him decades ago, she was playing Ophelia on a production on Broadway, his father the production's Danish Prince...

Cabaret is such an all-encompassing term, but in Elsie Diamond's one-woman show, it fits the bill perfectly. Dressers are often the unsung heroes of theatre and television, but in Diamond's case it really is her 'day job', and it is her in-depth knowledge of this arena that has inspired The Sensible Dresser.

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Abigail Tarttelin is a Hackney-based author. Her third novel Dead Girls will be published by Mantle on 3 May. It follows the award-winning Golden Boy, which told the story of an intersex teenager called Max. Comedian, author and broadcaster Rosie Wilby spoke to her.

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